MEDIVET STEM CELL THERAPY IS AVAILABLE AT HERITAGE VETERINARY HOSPITAL

What is stem cell therapy? Stem cells are the body’s repair cells, the basic building blocks of life. They can divide and turn into tissues such as skin, fat, muscle, bone cartilage, and nerves to name a few. They also possess the ability to replicate into organs such as the heart, liver, intestines, pancreas, etc.

There are two basic types of stem cells. These are: Embryonic and somatic (adult). Embryonic cells are found in the placenta and embryo. Somatic cells are found in the bone marrow, fat, skin, liver, blood vessels, and neurons. Somatic cells do not have the ability to reproduce into any mature cell type or are able to create a complete organ. There are no moral or ethical concerns harvesting this type of cell, activating them, and reintroducing them back to the patient in areas where healing and regeneration is needed.

What is the procedure for collecting my pet’s stem cells? On the day of the procedure one of our doctors will put your pet under anesthesia. A couple of tablespoons of fat will be removed. Your pet will be allowed to awaken. The next step is to process the fat for the removal of the stem cells. This step will take a couple of hours. Once the cells have been collected your pet will be sedated and they will be administered into the affected joints and/or the bloodstream.

What results will be seen and when? Every animal is different and there are no guarantees, however, in 95% of the arthritic cases positive clinical improvement has been seen. Some pets have experienced a difference within a week. Even though quick results are possible you should begin to see improvement within 90 days following the treatment. Extreme cases of arthritis may require multiple injections, so banking your extra cells is recommended.

What conditions do you treat? Our typical patient has osteoarthritis (hip dysplasia, degenerative joint disease, calcifications, common degeneration and inflammation), soft tissue injuries (cruciate injuries, tears, ruptures, inflammation), or needs accelerated healing of fractures. We know a lot about these conditions, and over 95% of these patients get better, with MediVet’s Stem Cell Therapy.
We also treat other cases under “compassionate use”. We know less about these conditions, but are seeing some exciting results. Some of those conditions are: degenerative myelopathy, feline gingivitis, end-stage renal disease, liver and kidney failure, allergy, auto-immune, inflammatory bowel disease, pulmonary fibrosis, IMHA, atopy, and spine trauma. Please talk to your vet if you have questions about any of these conditions.